Fool For You
by Excella Gionne
Summary: An old friend from High School provides connections and opportunities for Vince and Howard and they could have their big break at Pie Face Records! But will this girl be enough to tear the two best friends apart? Or is their friendship stronger than that?
1. Why Do I Even Bother Asking Anymore?

Howard Moon sighed as he used a toothbrush to scrub away the graffiti on the gates of the Nabootique. This time, they read "Howard Moon Will Wear Ladies' Knickers For Loose Change". It couldn't have been Vince who was doing it this time. Howard had made sure of that. He had been monitoring all of his purchases, and was constantly checking around for spray paint cans whenever Vince went on his little excursions to the shops. He frowned at one particular spot that wouldn't come off. Who could it be? He thought.

"Forget about it." He said throwing the toothbrush to the concrete. He picked it up again, tossed it in to his blue plastic bucket, and carried it as he trudged back in to the shop.

Vince was reading a copy of Cheekbone magazine, as usual. They had recently changed their publication from monthly to weekly, so now there were seldom occasions when Howard would find him without a copy under his nose.

"More art left in your honour, then?" Vince asked as he saw Howard passing by with his usual cleaning supplies. He had a huge grin on his face. Howard turned to him.

"Right, yeah, I told you what would happen if I ever found out it was you that was doin' this again?" He gestured with his bucket hand.

The grin was swept off of Vince's face. "Yeah. You'd set fire to my entire wardrobe using a candle from my Jagger shrine, and then proceed to light said shrine on fire with said candle."

"Exactly. I swear to God, Vince…" His threat was left empty as he leaned over to store the supplies in a small cabinet behind the counter.

"Well, it wouldn't be a total loss, since I've got the other two thirds of my wardrobe in storage, over in Cambridge, remember? Although, most of those are from the late 80's, early 90's. And I don't' think anyone wants to see that. " He turned the page.

"They're all clothes to me." Howard mumbled.

"Oh, bloody fantastic." Vince sighed sarcastically. "Just because Pete Neon's been wearin' taupe, it's suddenly the new chartreuse."

"So, what's the problem?" Howard asked, annoyed.

"Well, I haven't got anything taupe! I've got plenty of vermilion! And chartreuse! But NO TAUPE! I don't even want to think about leavin' the store wearin' one of those colours now!"

"Looks like your shit out of luck." Howard rolled his eyes and opened the register to count the money.

There was silence. Vince looked Howard up and down. "Howard – "

"No."

"But, you haven't even heard what I was going to say!"

"Don't need to. I know it's going to be outrageous, unnecessary, and of course, being you, extremely narcissistic." Howard laid a wad of fivers on the counter.

"Now, come on, hear me out! Howard, you're a man of…distinguished taste." Vince stood up and put his magazine on his chair.

"And you're lying through ya teeth. When have you ever said something like that to me?"

"Now, just listen! Taupe is a very…you colour. Meaning, I've seen you wear a lot of it. If you could just possibly, lend me a shirt or a pair of pants or something, just to throw on stylishly while I dash to TopShop for about an hour. Could you do that for me?"

"Vince –"

"Please, Howard? Just for a little bit?"

"Fine. But just, stay away from the shorts, yeah? I need them to show off my legs." He looked down at his handsome legs.

"Wouldn't dream of it!" Vince was grinning again. He quickly bounded up the stairs to the flat above the shop.

Howard sighed. "Something tells me I am really going to regret this."

***

It was 2 p.m. on a Saturday, and it was absolutely silent in the Nabootique. Except for the gentle sound of scrubbing coming from outside. Vince smiled satisfyingly.

"Man," He said to himself. "I don't know who this bloke is, but I definitely am a fan of his work." He gripped a small toy car from the edge of a display case, and began rolling it along the counter, over the cash register, and through a paper towel tube.

The door swung open. It was a customer. A very…pretty customer, thought Vince. He straightened the Taupe blazer (Howard's) that he wore over his Horrors tee and smiled.

"Hey, there. Can I help you?" He asked the young girl. She must've been about 19 or 20.

"Oh, just browsing, thanks. This is some store you've got here." She smiled. She had a nice smile, thought Vince.

"It's definitely somethin'." Vince responded. He looked at her again. Her auburn hair and green eyes seemed vaguely familiar. "I'm sorry, I'm probably wrong, but…do I know you from somewhere?"

"You know, you do seem a bit familiar yourself." She said.

"What's your name?"

"Lucy Preston?"

"Oh my goodness." Vince started laughing. "Lucy Preston? No way. It's me, Vince."

"Noir? Lord, it's been ages! How've you been?"

"Okay, I'd say. Still in Camden. Haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, I've been abroad. I was in Ireland for a little while, just taking some time off after graduation. I've come back to work for my uncle."

"Oh! Really? That's great. Did you ever pursue music as you'd hoped?"

"Actually, yeah, that's what my uncle does. He's the head executive at Pie Face Records."

Vince's heart stopped. "Y-you're kidding?"

Howard walked in at that moment and looked around. "I swear to Christ, that little vandalist is gonna be the death of me!"

Vince watched Lucy stifle a laugh. Weird. "Howard, guess who this is? It's Lucy Preston!"

"Nice to meet you." Howard didn't even bother to glance up as he took his hat off and hung it up on the rack near the door.

"Howard Moon? Well, can't say the years've been particularly kind to you!" Lucy smiled. There it was again, thought Vince.

"Wait a minute, are you the girl who Vince punched in the stomach in sophomore year?"

"That's me." Lucy replied. Suddenly, she looked at her watch. "Mary mother's knickers, is that the time? Vince, I'm sorry, but I'm about to be late for a lunch date with my uncle, but I'd love to catch up." She rummaged through her taupe fringe shoulder bag and pulled out a small piece of paper, which she handed to Vince. "There's my number. Give me a call, we should meet up for coffee some time!"

"Sounds electric, I'll catch you later then!" Vince took the piece of paper, smiling. Lucy left waving at Howard before stepping out of the door.

"Nice girl." Vince looked down at the piece of paper.

"I knew she looked familiar."

"She'd been in Ireland."

"She used to go to High School with us."

"Her uncle's head of Pie Face Records."

"Why'd you ever punch her?"

"Howard, did you hear me?"

"Hmmm?"

"Her uncle's head of Pie Face Records."

"Hell's bell's, is that right? D'you know what this means, Vince?"

"Now, wait right now, Howard, I'm not going to call her up, and use her just so that we can get a record deal."

"I'm not sayin' use her then lose her, I'm just saying get inside the circle and use the stellar resources to your advantage!"

"Yeah, I s'pose."

"Why'd you ever punch her again."

"She pushed my button."

"Haha, don't all women?"

"No. She literally pushed my button. I was wearin' my best Rocky Horror button that day, and she got a little too friendly, when she touched it, it fell off, shattered in to a million pieces. I've never been so devastated in my life." Vince touched the place under his collar bone where the fateful button had once been.

"Shame. Mind helpin' me get this place straightened out? Naboo's due back soon."

"I'd love to, but I'll have to take a raincheck. I'm off to TopShop to fine a taupe top. Haha TaupeShop. There's tweed or somethin' in this blazer of yours and it's making hell of my shoulders. I've got sensitive skin you know."

"I don't know why I even bother asking anymore." Howard turned and began tidying up the counter.


	2. It's Just Coffee

**_A/N: HEY, GUYS! SO GREAT TO SEE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKING AN INTEREST IN MY STORY! HONESTLY, EACH STORY ALERT AND FAVORITE MAKES MY DAY. YOU DON'T EVEN WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE COMMENTS ;) I'M BACK AFTER A LONGGG TIME (YOU CAN GRACIOUSLY THANK MY TEACHERS, AND THEIR HOBBY OF GIVING US TESTS AT THE END OF TERMS) BUT, 2ND TERM IS OVER AND DONE WITH, AND I AM READY TO WRITE! I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS CHAPTER. IT WAS PUT TOGETHER HASTILY, BUT I HAVE A FEELING IT'LL BE GOOD. ENJOY, R&R!!_**

**_~mctv_**

* * *

**Howard walked down the hall of his flat, whistling one of his favorite Coltrane tunes. As he passed Vince's room, he curiously peeked inside, past the slightly opened door. **

**Vince stood in front of his mirror. His right hand on his hip, his left hand adjusting the shimmery sapphire coloured scarf he had tied around his head. Howard didn't even want to begin to try and calculate how much time Vince spent in front of that glass daily. Or how much of the shop's earnings he spent on the ridiculously pricey clothes at Top Shop. **

**Honestly, what's the point in spending fifty pounds on a shirt? Howard thought to himself. Well, not me. No sir. Howard Moon wears his clothes until they're nothing but pieces of thread. And when they are reduced to that, he goes to his favorite store, The Bargain Barn. **

**"Oy, enjoy the peep show?" Vince pulled Howard out of his thoughts. He had his hands on his hips, and was glaring at his friend, who was lurking in the doorway to his room. **

**"Vince, it's just coffee. I don't understand why you have to make yourself up like you're going out to shop with Madonna." Howard lifted a magenta coloured, sequined v-neck from the foot of Vince's bed, scowled, then placed it back where it was. **

**"I understand that, but, Lucy's really pretty, and I'm hoping to make a good impression on her. Despite how much you hate the way I dress." Vince turned back towards his mirror.**

**"Vince, you know how I feel about men and sequins," He glanced back down at the shirt for a moment. "It's just not natural."**

**"Says the man who must always wear shorts in order to show off his 'handsome' legs. Besides, there's nothing wrong with androgyny. Kim Fowley did it, David Bowie did it. So why can't I?"**

**"Because you're not a rock God, that's why. Once you are, then you have my full blessing to wear whatever the hell you want. Speaking of which, make sure you mention the whole 'we're in a band, and it's a really good band' thing to Lucy when you see her." **

**"Howard, I'm not going to do that. Like you said, it's just coffee." Vince reached around the back of his neck to clasp his Ankh necklace. "If it comes up, it comes up. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Got it?"**

**"Right, yeah. That's clear. Just mention it at some point, would you? I'd really like to get us some publicity, you know?" Howard stared at Vince's face through the mirror.**

**"Yes. Fine. I'll get to it when I do. Now, if you don't mind letting my pass, I've got to go meet up with her, or it's not going to happen." Vince gestured towards Howard, who was blocking the door. **

**"Right, yes, of course." He hopped sideways. **

**"And if you could leave also, I don't like the idea of you lurking around in my room while I'm not here." Vince said on his way out. Howard mumbled something about the trust in their lifelong friendship as he shuffled out and shut the door behind him. **

*******

**"So, Vince, how's life since we've last met?" Lucy said taking a sip of her latte. **

**"Well, as you might have gathered, I work at the Nabootique." Vince nervously adjusted his blue scarf. **

**"Right. Yeah. Do you own that place?" Lucy leaned in and put her chin in her hands, elbows on the table. **

**"Um, no. Actually, my friend does. Not Howard, though. Someone else. His name is actually Naboo. Hence the Nabootique." Lucy laughed at this. **

**"What a peculiar name. Naboo. He's not from here, is he?" **

**Vince laughed nervously. "Heh. He's from very far away."**

**"But surely you must do something else other than tend the shop?" **

**"Well...um...actually, Howard and I are in a band." He looked down at the marble table surface which separated the 2 of them. **

**"No way! That's so cool. How come you never mentioned this before?" **

**"Well, you know, I didn't want to make it seem like I was trying to get you to talk to your uncle about us - which I'm NOT, so I just never mentioned it." **

**"Vince, that is so great." She reached over and put her hand on his arm. "You know, I'd really love to hear you guys play sometime."**

**"Really?" Vince looked up as she touched his arm, his heart fluttered. **

**"Definitely. It would be really groovy. Just tell me when I can see you guys." She smiled that great smile again. **

**"Great. Oh, um, I've been meaning to tell you, I'm sorry for, you know, punching you." **

**Lucy laughed her airy laugh again. "You know, when I walked in to the shop, I had a feeling it was you. The second I saw your face, I got a huge pang in my gut."**

**Vince smiled wide. "That was my favorite button. But, I'll forgive you. That's a big step for me." **

**"I believe you." She finished up her latte and grabbed her purse.**

**"So, um, can I, see you again?" Vince asked as they stood up. **

**"Absolutely. I think that would be nice." She linked her arm through his as they walked out on to the street.**

**"We're doing a set at Riley's Pub on Saturday. Are you free then?"**

**"For you? Of course I am." She ran her fingers over the fringe of the scarf. "This is really pretty. It brings out your eyes. Not like they need much bringing out." She teased.**

**Vince looked down at the floor. Since he was a child, it was always his combination of jet black hair and icy blue eyes that had been his signature look. **

**Lucy leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, which made Vince smile a smile that threatened to split his face in half. After that, he felt all of his nervousness dissolve from his body, and they laughed and talked for the rest of their walk through the streets of Camden.**

*******

**"Hey, pal, how's it goin', how was it?" Howard lept up from the lawn chair he had been sitting in by the door as Vince walked in.**

**"Jesus bloody Christmas, Howard, I haven't even stepped one foot in the door and you're tryin' to molest me here. Personal bubble, much?" Vince stretched out his arms between him and Howard, signifying his preferred space. **

**"Right, sorry. I'll clear off. But, how was it?" Howard stepped back considerably, and put his hands in his pockets. **

**"It was pretty great. She really is a cutie, and we had a nice time reminiscing." Vince set his European handbag on the table beside their couch and plopped down on to the corner cushion. **

**Howard was quick to follow. He rushed over to sit right down next to Vince. "Personal. Bubble." Vince growled through his teeth. Howard immediately slid to the cushion on the opposite side of the couch. **

**"So...did...you...um...ask her about..." Howard crossed his legs and tried to look casual. **

**Vince just looked at him and raised an eyebrow. **

**"Well, I mean, I would understand if you hadn't, I mean, it was only coffee, as you had said." Howard began twiddling his thumbs nervously. **

**Vince stared back blankly after he returned his eyebrow. Best to keep an idiot in suspense, he thought.**

**"But um, just putting this out here, her uncle is in a very powerful position which could potentially hurl us in to stardom and rock god-dom. And, remember what I said this morning about wearing whatever the hell you want and -" He was cut off by Vince.**

**"Howard, calm down. First of all, I don't need your permission anyway to dress the way I want. Secondly, expect to see her at Riley's Pub, Saturday." Vince said tiredly as he stood up from the couch and headed down the hall. **

**Howard ran after him. "You're jokin'! You're jokin'!! Vince! This is FANTASTIC! Oh, man, this is why I love you!!!" They reached Vince's room. Vince stepped inside, and began closing the door, but Howard put his foot between the frame to prevent it from closing. **

**"Howard, I completely understand your excitement, but Saturday is but 3 days away, and I must begin my rigorous beauty ritual. I need to cleanse, moisturize, tone, smooth and brighten. And in 72 hours, that's a lot to ask of a man, even for me. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get started on all of that now." He kicked Howard's foot and slammed the door in his face. **

**Howard fell back against the wall, and clutched his foot in pain. Those pointy boots could scar like a bitch. With his left hand still latched on to his foot, Howard used his right hand to knock on the door of Vince's room. "You did good, mate, you did real good!" He called through the door.**

**Then he hobbled and hopped down the hallway to fetch an icepack. **

* * *

_**A/N: HOPE YOU GUYS LIKED IT!! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO R&R, AND FEEL FREE TO LEAVE SUGGESTIONS AND STORY IDEAS IN THE COMMENTS IF THERE'S SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IN THE COMING CHAPTERS. I LISTEN AND TAKE IN TO ACCOUNT ALL FEEDBACK (EVEN CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM) SO JUST FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ANYTHING :D KEEP CHECKING BACK FOR MORE!**_

_**MUCH LOVE, **_

_**~mctv**_


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